To be more specific, my parents raised my siblings and me to “respect” them, saying "yes sir, and “no ma’am” to everything they said. Spankings, all of that. Typical super conservative evangelical parents. Before I learned better, I was that way too. I went to college and since then have embraced the left more and more.

They’ll say things now and then that are really distasteful politically. Today I made an Instagram post about DeSantis lying about liberal states allowing post-birth abortions and I got several family members railing against me. I’m tired of staying quiet when this happens. I think that, because how my parents raised me, I’m afraid to speak my mind to older family members. Fuck that though.

Has anyone else had this experience? I wonder if therapy would help. I just don’t know how to explain it.

  • ManosTheHandsOfFate@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    58
    ·
    1 year ago

    I feel cynical about this and don’t think we live in a time when most people’s minds can truly be changed. Therefore I choose not to engage most people about politics and so find it easier to like people.

    • minorsecond@lemm.eeOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      1 year ago

      That’s the approach I’ve taken but not because I’m cynical about it, rather I hate conflict.

    • DarraignTheSane@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      I wish I could find it easier to simply ignore my aging parents’ political views like I do with most acquaintances in the deep red state I live in, but I can’t.

      The people who raised me to be kind and emphasize with others now base their worldview in fear and hatred. As far as I’m concerned my parents died sometime around 2016 (or perhaps before then), and there are some kind of racist pod people in their place.

    • OldFartPhil@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      Agreed. I’m old enough to remember when you could have a rational debate with conservatives on a foreign policy question or government budget priorities or economic policy. But how do you argue with someone who believes that millions of illegal votes were cast in 2020 or that Jews secretly control the world financial system or that white people are the real victims of racism?

      You can’t argue with someone who lives in a different reality than you do because there are no common points of reference. It’s the most insidious effect of over-exposure to conservative media and I have no idea how people can be deprogrammed.

    • CmdrShepard@lemmy.one
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Same. I’ll rail against people spreading disinformation online, but try to ignore politics as much as possible with friends and family because nobody is going to change their beliefs and we’ll just both wind up pissed at each other.